Word Wars

Tiles and Tribulations on the Scrabble Game Circuit

Follow four Scrabble game fanatics as they advance to the North American Championship. The film is a thoroughly entertaining and hilarious look at a board game that's an occasional amusement for some - and a serious obsession (or disturbing addiction) for others.

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A richly enjoyable film filled with fascinating and captivating personalities. It brought back all of the good times I've had playing this game with serious, competent players. I miss this game, and comments like 'I wish I didn't like this game so much' seem so tangible, even though it has been years since I've last touched a letter tile. I recognize many of the OCD behaviors that players feel they have to do to eke out a win, like Joe Edley's tai chi exercises as he desperately tries to find his qi and channel its flow (I've tried this method and some), which, coincidently, is a useful Scrabble word. Marlon Hill is seemingly larger than this documentary and his exchanges with and private comments about Matt Graham as well as his own (sometimes skewed) perceptions are flat-out hilarious, like when the announcer makes a caveat about intimidating other players during competition and subsequently Marlon's reaction. And then there's the classroom scene (I have to say the school system is visionary to invite him as an inspirational guest speaker and hopefully handsomely paid), and I do mean scene that's out of control. Keep your Kleenex box within reach because tears will flow. My mother used to disapprove of shameless people like Marlon and Matt, but as I grew older, I realized I didn't have enough of these people as friends. It's difficult not to love this film, but why would you want to?

I read and really enjoyed Stefan Fatsis' "Word Freak" years ago, so this movie was an interesting follow-up — it was surreal to 'meet' all the characters from the book, and unbelievable to think that all the descriptions of these individuals were so bang-on; these guys are... cut from a different cloth, let's just say. An interesting look into the world of competitive Scrabble, but not quite as in-depth or truly fascinating as Fatsis' book.